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PEECKER QUALITY PHILOSOPHY |
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The Peecker Sound approach to Quality has become a benchmark, not only for the other business units within the Sound Corporation group (for instance, the rise of the X-Treme subsidiary), but also for the numerous competitors in the audio segment dedicated to Installed Sound. For over twenty years, the Peecker Sound staff's approach to Quality management has not been restricted to verifying compliance with the - albeit creditable - rules drawn up by prestigious external bodies (such as UNI ISO). The procedures applied by this strategic department are grounded in an overall systemic approach called Total Quality Management (TQM) based on the responsibility of every single member of the business unit.
As a management philosophy, TQM is studied and pursued primarily because of the principles and suggestions it provides on how to develop a Quality-based organization, in other words, an organization that has the capability for self-improvement and to achieve ever-growing results.
This approach is based on the following values:
- Continuous improvement (Kaizen) and Quality First: a commitment by the whole organization to pursuing quality and continuous improvement, where processes are reviewed by employees themselves in order to reduce time, costs and waste (muda).
- Focus on the customer (Customer Satisfaction), based on listening to customer requirements and introducing improvements to secure customer satisfaction
- Just in Time (JIT), meaning that every working activity has to produce the necessary items in the necessary quantity and in the necessary time, eliminating the waste constituted by raw materials and semi-manufactured goods. Peecker Sound production is launched on the basis of required quantities determined by the orders placed by vendors, agents, distributors and so on (the "pull" system).
The main JIT tool is the Kanban (or manufacturing label). This is a communication system which regulates production flows and production times, and includes external suppliers in the chain. Briefly, it means that at every demand point a request/notice is sent to the previous point stating the necessary and sufficient materials needed to produce what is required, based on the following principles: - Upstream work units vs downstream work units: even inside the organization there are occasions of "exchange" between the various units (offices, departments, individuals) in which every individual has to consider the recipient as a customer to be satisfied (internal customer);
- Partnership with suppliers/stakeholders: every outsourced service and every external supply must conform to Peecker Sound's quality standards (it's difficult to make a good cake with poor ingredients!); moreover, building solid long-term relationships with suppliers and partners yields considerable advantages thanks to the mutual confidence they create;
- Doing it right the first time: namely, pursuing quality objectives right from the beginning of every activity, rather than solving problems while work is in progress.
The 5 Peecker Sound TQM operating steps
TQM puts forward a set of values that have to become an integral part of the existing organizational culture in order to be efficient. It is then up to the individual company to apply its own methods to translate the guidelines into operating procedures. In this process Peecker Sound achieves its real competitive advantage towards its competitors.
1. Quality Control of incoming semi-manufactured goods
On receiving supplies of materials, the staff of the Peecker Sound Quality Control Department follow planned inspection procedures using the following tools:
- Control Sheets for each item, pointing out the characteristics to be inspected, the inspection equipment to be used and the rigorousness of the inspection controls depending on the type of supplier;
- Sampling tables, which determine the size of the sample to be extracted and inspected depending on batch size.
The inspection controls performed are recorded through specific IT procedures and are stored in an archive managed by the Quality Control Department. An accompanying label is then placed on the inspected product recording the controls it has passed and the relevant comments made by technical inspectors.
Fig. 1 Positioned speakers undergoing a visual inspection
2. Laboratory tests on prototypes and semi-manufactured products
The development and testing activities carried out in the Design Department are key in the quality control process. Such tests are performed in the following cases:
- prototypes of new products;
- modifications to existing products;
- approval of critical components;
- inspection following repairs of installed products.
The tests are performed in compliance with written specifications agreed with the Engineering Office, which normally issues the requests for such tests to be carried out in order to verify the design. All the tests are recorded on specially-designed forms and are stored in a single archive.
 Fig. 2 Detail of a grille being fastened with a wood screw
3. FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) FMEA is a system of risk evaluation based on studies of mechanical reliability. It is widely used in industrial and non-industrial contexts to evaluate the reliability of products and processes. Once again, the technical procedures define methods of implementation, criteria of acceptability and implementation procedures. Generally speaking, traditional speakers are left operating for 48 hours once they have passed all the quality controls. If they are being supplied to customers outside Italy, the duration of this testing procedure may be longer.
4. Rapid Testing
The testing phase consists of the following two stages:
First stage: all speakers are subjected to stringent testing procedures which include:
A) phase coherence testing of loudspeakers;
B) electrical and acoustic testing of components;
C) resistance testing at maximum peak levels.
Second stage: the final testing takes place in a specially designed demo room where the speaker receives an input signal from a pink noise generator and is left operating continuously under full load for 48 hours.
 Fig. 3 Positioning of the loudspeakers before testing
Once the products have passed the testing stage, they are inspected by the technical staff appointed to deal with Quality Control. Based on specifications set out in a specially-designed document, they check the following aspects: 1) the quality of surface finishing,
2) the rigidity of the protection grille,
3) the coupling of the SpeakOn connectors,
4) the condition of suspension equipment (pins, hooks, etc.),
5) possible localized imperfections caused by the manufacturing process. |
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